A 1945 tea house in the northeast corner
The Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House (松本家住宅茶室, Matsumoto-ke Jūtaku Chashitsu) is a tea house built in 1945 on the Matsumoto family estate in Nakanosaku, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, and listed as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 11 December 1998. It is a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 53 square metres.
It stands in the northeast corner of the grounds, with the detached house of the same year joined to its west side. The roof is gabled, and the south gable carries a board inscribed Ichitarō-an. Its registration number is 07-0026.
Three rooms: reception, tea and preparation
Inside, the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House is laid out as three rooms. First comes a formal eight-mat reception room with shoin-style fittings and a Tokonoma alcove one and a half bays wide, roughly 2.7 metres, a generous width for the focal wall of a room this size.
Beyond it lies a six-mat tea room with a sunken hearth, or ro, cut into the floor. The hearth holds the kettle at gatherings in the colder months, and it shows the room was made for preparing tea, not only for display. A three-mat Mizuya behind handles the utensils out of sight.
Reception room, tea room and pantry under one roof: this is the arrangement the Agency for Cultural Affairs means when it calls the building a detached house with a tea room.
Why it was registered
The tea house was registered as a model of design. The Agency describes it as plain in manner but finely made, and a good example of its type.
The Matsumotos have brewed sake since 1835, and together with the neighbouring study this building shows the place tea held in the household. The two were also the first buildings in Iwaki City to be registered, according to the city's list.
What to look for
Start with the board on the south gable. By taking a hermitage name, Ichitarō-an, the building presents itself as a named tea house rather than a spare parlour. Published sources do not explain where the name comes from.
Then weigh the two main rooms against each other. The eight-mat room, with its shoin fittings and wide alcove, is the formal space for guests; the six-mat tea room beside it is a size smaller. Setting a dignified reception room next to a working tea room is the idea behind the Agency's verdict of plain but fine.
Visiting
The Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House is part of a private home, and its interior is not open to the public. No opening had been announced as of October 2026.
The building stands in the northeast of the grounds, and published sources do not say how much of it is visible from the road. Entering the property is not possible, and photographs should be limited to what can be taken from the street.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Fukushima
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House
- [ Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle & Ouchi-juku Village Tours ]
Q&A
- Can I visit the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House?
- It is part of a private home and the interior is not open to the public. No opening had been announced as of October 2026, and the grounds cannot be entered.
- When was the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House built and registered?
- It was built in 1945 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 11 December 1998, under number 07-0026.
- What rooms does the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House contain?
- An eight-mat reception room with shoin fittings and an alcove one and a half bays wide, a six-mat tea room with a sunken hearth, and a three-mat preparation room.
- What does Ichitarō-an on the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House mean?
- It is the hermitage name written on the board on the south gable. Published sources do not explain its origin.
- How is the Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House related to the detached house?
- The detached house is a hip-roofed study joined to the west side of the tea house, also built in 1945. Both were registered on the same day.
Basic Information
| Name | Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House |
|---|---|
| Location | 31-1 Enokido, Nakanosaku, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1998/12/11 (Heisei 10) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 53 square metres |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Closed to the public (no opening announced) |
References
- National Cultural Properties Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00000941
- Cultural Heritage Online: Matsumoto Family Residence Tea House
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/138211
- Iwaki City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in Iwaki (as of 10 September 2019)
- https://www.city.iwaki.lg.jp/www/contents/1001000004791/files/tourokubunkazai.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.07
